#11 in Picture books
Tikki Tikki Tembo
- 46
- Pages
- about 1 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“Tikki Tikki Tembo” is a playful picture book whose fun lies in a little boy’s impossibly long name. Arlene Mosel tells of a Chinese boy who falls into a well, framing it as a tale of why Chinese names are short. Some readers fondly remember finally reciting that name; others question how fairly the book treats Chinese culture. It is best shared with an adult ready to talk about the story’s origins.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Tikki Tikki Tembo is a 1968 picture book written by Arlene Mosel and illustrated by Blair Lent. The book tells the story of a Chinese boy with a long name who falls into a well. It is an origin myth story about why Chinese names are so short today.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.0 across 52 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 26% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Picture books average of 8.3. That is how 8.2 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 9.0 | 12 | 23% |
| Hardcover | 7.7 | 40 | 77% |
Frequently asked
How long is Tikki Tikki Tembo?
It has 46 pages — longer than 50% of the ranked books in Picture books.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Picture books — with scores between 8.1 and 8.3, closest to this book.
